There's Always Hope
by SelenaTheMoonPrincess
Summary: Usagi's life as she knows it will be hanging in the balance. My first fanfic ^^.
1. Default Chapter Title

This is my first one! Hopefully, not my last o.O  
  
Tsukino Usagi smiled brightly and practically skipped to the Crown Game   
  
Center, with Luna right at her heels. With every step that Usagi took, Luna took   
  
three, making it very hard to catch up. "Onnegai, slow down! You'll be the death   
  
of me yet!" The blonde and fairly tall girl stopped a few feet from the   
  
automatic doors, and smiled playfully at her cat. "Oh, Luna, I'm just too   
  
excited! Mamo-chan's giving me a ride on his motorcycle today at seven!" The   
  
violet-colored cat smiled in spite of herself. "Is he all you ever think about?   
  
You really have to concentrate more on saving the world..." And on went the   
  
lecture until a familiar voice cried out, "Usagi-chan!"   
  
  
Both of them turned to see Ami running toward them, her blue eyes shining   
  
in the daylight. She ran right into Usagi, almost tackling her over. Catching   
  
her breath, she grinned and said, "Ryo-kun asked me to the library today, can   
  
you believe it?" Usagi giggled, and nodded, high-fiving Ami. "Hai, I can! I   
  
always knew you two were meant for each other. Come on, me and Luna were just   
  
about to go into the arcade." As soon as they walked in, they were greeted by   
  
Furuhata Motoki, as usual.   
  
Ami and Luna had moved on to the latest Sailor V game, but Usagi stayed at   
  
Motoki's side for a moment. Her heart fluttered ever so slightly, and she   
  
wondered for a moment if she still had some feelings for him. Catching his gaze   
  
for a second, she knew the truth. It wasn't because of her past crush on Motoki,   
  
but the fact that he was a friend of Mamoru made him special in her eyes.  
  
Suddenly, two hands covered her eyes, and almost made her stumble back.   
  
"Guess who?" a voice said. Twisting her head around, but getting nowhere, Usagi   
  
laughed nervously. "I don't have to guess! It's you, isn't it, Rei?" "Who else?"   
  
Lifting her hands away, the two hugged. "You're glowing, Usagi-chan. What's up?"   
  
Usagi blushed, "Everybody knows me too well, I guess. Mamo-chan asked me out   
  
today, and I can't wait!" Rei slapped her on the back, "Alright! This calls for   
  
a dozen rounds of Sailor V!"   
  
"We couldn't agree more!" yelled Minako and Makoto at the same time, entering.   
  
A couple hours later...  
  
Minako yawned, "I'm totally beat...and this is my game!" Most of the   
  
others nodded, lying down on the cold, hard floor. The only one still standing   
  
was Ami, and she was racking up points by the minute. Suddenly, the automatic   
  
sliding doors opened, and a small, light brown haired boy charged in, looking   
  
angry and miserable at the same time. "Have you seen my sister?" he urgently   
  
asked Motoki. "Have you seen Tsukino Usagi?" Usagi, frightened by the tone of   
  
her brother's voice, got up to her feet. "I'm here, Shingo! What's the matter?"   
  
He looked at her blankly, as if not focusing on her, pale in the light of the   
  
dawning sun. "It's Mom...she's not well. Come on, Dad told me to bring you."  
  
Tears hadn't come, because for the longest time Usagi was in shock, being   
  
dragged along by her little brother. Her mother had always been so healthy, and   
  
she rarely ever saw her sicker than a slight cold. Somewhere along the way, she   
  
pulled back from Shingo's grip, and demanded, "What's the matter with her? Why   
  
are we going this way?" He stared at her, not believing what he was hearing.   
  
*Didn't she care at all about Mom?* he thought. "Sis, Mom and Dad have been in a   
  
car accident. The brakes weren't working, or something like that, and Dad says   
  
they took her away in a stretcher. He's alright, just some scratches, but they   
  
don't know if Mom might make it." Her alert blue eyes widened, and she screamed,   
  
"No, it's not true! It can't be!!!" Suddenly she sprinted for the hospital,   
  
leaving Shingo in the dust.   
  
Running down a sidewalk rapidly, she tripped over a rock that jutted out   
  
at the end of the sidewalk. She sprawled out on the street, and didn't rise for   
  
a few seconds. Luckily, it wasn't rush hour, and only one lone car advanced. She   
  
lifted herself up off the pavement, gaining a couple bruises, and was about to   
  
dash off again, when the car door opened and a person came out. "Are you   
  
alright? Can I help you?" She hesitated, remembering the sound of the voice, and   
  
turned to him. "Mamo...Mamo-chan." Usagi was close to fainting from despair, and   
  
he caught her just in time. She looked up at him and smiled breathlessly, more   
  
from being polite than anything else. He hugged her tightly, and whispered in   
  
her ear, "What's the matter, Usako?" She was silent for a moment, taking the   
  
question in, then she weakly replied, "My mom...hospital...got to go..." Mamoru   
  
understood, and realized Usagi couldn't make it by herself. "Come in, get in.   
  
We'll get there faster, anyway."  
  
Many feelings overwhelmed Usagi by the time they got to the hospital.   
  
Concern for her mother was high among them, also innocent love and admiration   
  
for Mamoru, who would drop everything he had to do and help her in her time of   
  
need. As soon as he steered the car in the parking lot, she jumped out and   
  
skidded inside, ignoring the "Watch Your Step" sign. When she got to the   
  
receptionist's desk, she cried, "My mom's here! Tsukino Ikuko! Please, tell me   
  
where she is!" The nurse at the desk looked up, used to screaming   
  
people asking her questions. She typed the name in neatly, to the irriation of   
  
Usagi, and pointed. "You're lucky it's visiting hours. She's up two flights.   
  
Take the stairs, and three doors to your right, and you should find her."   
  
With her long blond hair trailing behind her, she finally reached her   
  
mom's room, having had to dodge so many walking in her way. She softly pushed   
  
the door open a crack, in case her mother happened to be sleeping. Her father   
  
was holding Ikuko's hand, absorbed in her and only her. "You'll be alright," he   
  
whispered, just loud enough for Usagi to hear. "You can't leave me." Usagi   
  
looked for something to say, but realized that her father might need a few   
  
minutes alone. She left the door as it was, and leaned against the cold marble   
  
wall, her tears already drying. There's always hope, she thought, as she   
  
dropped her head down onto her knees. There's got to be hope.  
  
  



	2. Default Chapter Title

There's Always Hope - Chapter 2.  
  
  
The second chapter of my story! ^^ Thanks for all the encouragement! This is taking place in the first season, k? I took a few liberties...hope it all makes sense. All the disclaimer stuff that I missed on my other one's here...Sailor Moon and all characters don't belong to me, but to Takeuchi Naoko, Bandai, TOEI, Koudansha, all o' them. Yeah, well, now on to the story. Hope ya like the second installment! ^~   
  
After awhile, Tsukino Kenji could no longer stand watching his wife in such a state, and he almost sleep-walked to the hallway. He closed the door wearily, like he expected that some stranger would come by to disturb her. Yet again, the crash ran through his mind, and he wished for another chance. The wailing cries of Ikuko pierced his ears, the sharp bits of glass falling on her clouded his eyes, and he lived the accident over again. He trembled at the unfairness of it while sitting down on the floor. He thought, "-Why should it be Ikuko suffering? I should be the one lying on the hospital bed...-" Soon after, when he came back to earth, he noticed a figure asleep next to him. He patted her on the head, and suddenly she raised her head and opened her eyes.  
"Usagi...I'm so glad that Shingo found you."   
Usagi rubbed her eyes, then managed a weak smile, and whispered, "What happened, Dad? What state is Mom in? What'd the doctor say?" He sighed, with his head tilted toward the floor, and wrinkles formed on his head. Kenji made no move to speak, and Usagi realized that he looked ten years older than he had yesterday. "Dad...maybe you should get some sleep...I'll stay with Mom." That woke him up. "No," he firmly stated. "I won't leave her like this." He took off his huge black glasses and wiped the tears out of his brown eyes. "You see, Usagi...Ikuko...your Mom...is in a coma. The only doctor that talked to me said that she might wake up at any moment, so I have to be here. She's hooked up to so many IV's, and...honestly...we don't know if she'll make it." His voice cracked with emotion, yet he wouldn't let his tears show. "She looks so weak and pale, Usagi. All we can do is wait."  
"Visiting hours are over."   
Said a tall, powerful, and gruff nurse. Usagi fought the urge to trip her while she was passing by, though she slowly got up. "Come on, Dad. Let's go to the waiting room." He nodded silently, and walked right beside his daughter, his shoulders hunched over. "Why...why...why...?" he groaned.  
"How's Mom?"  
Shingo practically jumped them when they got to the waiting room. "They wouldn't let me in, I guess I'm too young," he sighed. Kenji ruffled his hair and kneeled down next to him. "She'll be alright, son. Your mom's in a coma right now, but I'm pretty sure she'll wake up." Shingo hugged him, and Usagi got to look in her father's eyes over her brother's shoulder. What she saw was a weary, tired, grief-stricken look, and a bit of guilt somewhere deep. It disturbed her so much that she stammered, "Um...well...I'm just going to walk around, get to know the...uh...hospital." She strode down the hallway and found the windows, and watched the moon in all its glory. "A full moon...on a day like this..." she sighed. "Mom, maybe someone is watching over you."  
  
  
Mamoru drove aimlessly, miserable for Usagi, and physically unable to do anything. "It's so different when it's a youma or something," he thought aloud. "At least then I can attempt to save her." Mamoru's eyebrows furrowed. "But what do I do in this situation? I can't control what happens...Usako is so attached to her mother, that I don't know what she'd do if...if..." He closed his eyes, remembering when his own car accident...the one that had basically ruined his life. He'd been a lot younger then, though, and he didn't really remember it. He shook his head, condemning himself for talking like Tsukino Ikuko was going to die. "I must be strong for her...she's probably still there." He turned his car around at the next traffic light, and rushed for the hospital again to comfort his beloved Usako.  
  
  
~Back at The Arcade~  
  
All four teenage girls looked at each with worry and dismay from this new dilemma. Rei muttered, "Poor Usagi-chan." Ami ran her fingers through her short blue hair and whispered sadly, "I couldn't imagine losing my mother to anything. She means so much to me." Makoto leaned her head on the palm of her hand, deep in thought. She had lost her family, so she sort of knew what Usagi was going through. Minako patted Makoto on the back, almost sensing what she was thinking, and said quietly, "You guys, Usagi-chan hasn't lost her mother yet. And she won't, okay? Come on, let's go see how she's doing." Rei nodded, "Yeah, Minako's right. Friends support friends, especially in times of need." Luna sighed. "And just when she was so worked up about today." Motoki hunched over the counter. "I wish I could come, but the arcade's still open for a few hours." He gestured to the dozens of kids inside. "Well, give my best to Usagi!" They nodded, and stepped outside. A split second later, a piercing scream cried, "Help!!!!"   
"Not now..."  
All of them groaned. "One crisis after another," mumbled Ami. "Do you think I should contact her, minna?" Makoto replied, "She has a right to know, don't ya think?" Minako folded her arms and said, "Maybe we can take care of it ourselves." Rei yelled, "I'd feel better with her here!" After a pause, they all turned to look at her in disbelief. Rei stammered, "Um, well, you know what I mean...she is leader and all..." Ami saved her more embarrassment by agreeing, and while all of them ran to the scene of the developing crime, she opened her communicator. After a few seconds, a shocked Usagi stared back at her, and Ami said urgently, "Usagi-chan, we need you over here immediately. There's a new youma around the Crown Game Center and it's coming this way. Please, get here!" Snapping it shut, she ran behind the others.  
  
  
Usagi closed her eyes, shaking her head furiously, as if trying to clear up her thoughts. She looked closely at the window, and saw her reflection. Her bright blue eyes were now blood-shot, her long blond hair was tousled, and her clothes were stained with tears. "-How can I be of any help like this?-" After a minute or two, she smiled a little, and thought, "-If Mamo-chan could see me now, I'd   
faint.- Suddenly, someone grabbed her by the waist and hugged her tightly. "Mamo..." she whispered gratefully. "Oh gosh, I look so awful." Mamoru chuckled and held her even tighter. "Never, Usako." At his words, she wanted to cry, but her tears had left her an hour ago. She wanted to scream at someone, especially that nurse from earlier. Most of all, she wanted to be limp, to have Mamo-chan take care of her, but she couldn't be dependent at the moment. "Mamo-chan, I've got to go. Ami called me a few minutes earlier, and she said it was important." He nodded and grinned when she didn't move. "I suppose you'd like me to carry you to Ami-chan?" She poked him, and started rushing to the exit.   
  
  
Shingo was fast asleep on his father's lap, and he twitched every so often, like he was having a nightmare. Tsukino Kenji sighed. "If I had been watching the signs, this wouldn't have happened." He spoke like there was someone listening. "It was a one-way street, and unfortunately I was the only one going the wrong way. Seems like my whole future is going the wrong way now. Ikuko wouldn't be lying there, fighting for her life if it hadn't been for me." He dug his face into his hands, miserable at the plight of his wife. A passing doctor took a seat beside him, the one who had told him of Ikuko, and patted him on the back. "All we can do is wait now, but I'm sure your wife will be just fine." His kind words were soothing. When Kenji didn't look up, the white-haired doctor slyly took out a strong tranquilizer shot out of his pocket, and stung him with it.  
Making sure the nurse wasn't watching, he pushed Shingo's father back against the bench, so that he looked more like he was sleeping than unconscious. Walking away steadily, he jumped into an empty room and took off his white coat. When he came out, the dark blue uniform he wore made him look like a general. A general of the Dark Kingdom. He grinned. "If I'm right...the Dark Kingdom will prevail. Queen Beryl will be pleased." Kunzite strolled out of the hospital, acting like nothing had happened.  
  
That's it for this one! I don't wanna give you all too much in one sitting ^^. Review it and stuff, k? Tell me what I'm doin' right/wrong...I really want your opinions! Okay, well, thanks and everything for readin'! - ~Sele~   
  
  
  
  
  



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